Souschefs who grasp their section's food costs make smarter decisions and actively contribute to profitability. Most head chefs share recipes but skip the financial details. Your souschefs can't make cost-conscious choices when they don't understand the numbers.
Why souschefs need to understand food cost
Your souschef controls portion sizes and decides garnish amounts. Without knowing costs, they'll make expensive choices unconsciously.
? Example:
Your souschef plates 250 grams of steak. You budgeted for 200 grams.
- Steak: €24/kg
- Extra 50 grams per portion: €1.20
- 50 portions per week: €60 extra
Annual impact: €3,120 from one souschef's portions
Once your souschef realizes those extra 50 grams cost €1.20 per plate, they'll approach plating differently. Not cheaper—more thoughtfully.
Start with the basics: explaining food cost percentage
Keep explanations straightforward. Define food cost and connect it to business success.
- Food cost = ingredient costs divided by selling price (excl. VAT) × 100
- Restaurant standard: 28-35% food cost
- Above 35% threatens profitability
- Their decisions directly impact this percentage
? Example explanation for souschef:
"That pasta carbonara costs €7.50 in ingredients. We sell it for €24.50 incl. VAT."
- €24.50 ÷ 1.09 = €22.48 excl. VAT
- €7.50 ÷ €22.48 × 100 = 33.4% food cost
"Add €1 extra ingredients, and it jumps to 37.9%. That kills our margins."
Give each souschef their own numbers
Personalize the data. Show each souschef their section's specific metrics—meat, fish, appetizers, whatever they handle.
- Calculate food cost for their 3 top dishes
- Show weekly/monthly sales volumes
- Translate 1% food cost changes into euros
- Set clear targets ("Keep your section under 32%")
⚠️ Note:
Don't overwhelm with every dish immediately. Pick 2-3 bestsellers from their section first. Expand once they're comfortable.
Introduce weekly check-ins
Build routine discussions. Spend 10 minutes weekly reviewing their section's performance—a mistake that costs the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month when ignored.
- Monday: Review previous week's food cost
- Wins: Which dishes hit targets?
- Improvements: Where did costs spike?
- Focus: What's their priority this week?
? Example conversation:
"Your meat section hit 31.2% food cost last week. Solid work! The ribeye came in at 29%—perfect execution. The steak climbed to 36% though."
"This week, aim to bring that steak back to 33%. Try reducing garnish slightly or weighing more precisely."
Give tools to measure themselves
Equip your souschef with self-monitoring capabilities. They need immediate feedback on their choices.
- Digital scale: Accurate weighing prevents cost overruns
- Cost sheets: Price per 100 grams for each ingredient
- Calculation tools: Apps or spreadsheets for quick math
- Recipe cards: Exact quantities with cost breakdowns
Food cost calculators like KitchenNmbrs let your souschef instantly see cost impacts when adjusting ingredients on their phone. They learn through experimentation rather than guesswork.
Rewarding good performance
Positive reinforcement beats criticism every time. Celebrate when your souschef maintains cost discipline.
- Highlight achievements during team meetings
- Connect food cost targets to bonuses or promotions
- Let them create new dishes within budget constraints
- Increase responsibilities for consistent performers
⚠️ Note:
Never sacrifice quality for cost control. Emphasize conscious cooking, not corner-cutting.
From theory to practice
Start immediately. Pick one souschef and one signature dish. Calculate food cost together and explain the business impact. Set next week's target.
Success with one leads to expansion across more dishes and team members. Within a month, you'll have profit-minded cooks instead of just recipe followers.
Related articles
How do you teach souschefs to calculate food cost? (step by step)
Choose one dish from their section
Start with your souschef's best-selling dish. Calculate all ingredient costs together and explain the food cost formula. Have them do the calculation themselves.
Give a personal target figure
Set a food cost goal for their section (for example 32%). Explain why this matters for your business's profitability. Make it concrete with euro amounts.
Schedule weekly check-ins
Discuss their food cost from the previous week for 10 minutes every Monday. What went well, what can improve? Give concrete tips and recognize good performance.
✨ Pro tip
Begin with your most enthusiastic souschef and track their section's performance for exactly 3 weeks. Their visible success motivates other team members to embrace food cost responsibility.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
What if my souschef struggles with basic math?
How do I prevent souschefs from skimping on quality to hit targets?
Should I train all souschefs simultaneously on food cost management?
What's the ideal frequency for updating ingredient costs?
How should I handle souschefs who consistently miss their food cost targets?
Can I set different food cost targets for different sections?
What if souschefs start compromising presentation to hit cost targets?
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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